ROC D'AZUR

It's hard to imagine but there has been a time Peter and I weren't only mountainbiking. When I returned from Australia more than a decade ago our first holiday together was in Fréjus. Peter took me out for bike rides in the area and didn't stop talking about a great event the Roc D'Azur. He would love to ever be part of it and most of all to do this together.

Sara's biotope

Peter's biotope

For me not as easy as it sounds, because first of all at that time my biking skills were below zero and secondly, working as a teacher it is not so easy to take some time off outside the school holidays. 

But you only live once so you always have to try to live your dreams. First things first, improving my MTB skills. After about 10 years of riding and 6 years intensive training programs I dare to say that I got better at it.

Looking into the future?

Our 'holiday' planning

For the first time in ten years I finally have only 1 school I teach. The school direction are sport minded and understand my mountain bike obsession. So they allowed my participation.

Thanks to our sponsor Canyon we got accredited in first waves at the start, so the hell at the start from last year (Peter went there without me) was not an option. I also got low starting numbers with which I could start in the front of the pack.

At the Roc d'Azur you can participate in lots of races during 4 days. The 'real guys' ride the Roc Trophy, which implicates one race a day.
We would be riding Three distances. The first was the 'inride', only 23 km, but with same start and finish as the marathon we would be starting in the next day. So for a good recon this could count. An easy ride with photo stops, and checking out the feedzones resulted in a podium...

Unexpected podium.

As said, the second day was marathon time. 86km with 2300 altimeters on the best trails the region has to offer. Steep up- and downhills, lots of rocky sections and no time to rest due to the following up of long hard pedaling sections.
Due to the very good weather conditions, the region was so dried out, it was more like a ROC d'UST. 😃

Typically at this race is the very fast start where everyone's trying to get in the singletrail section in front and get a good place for the uphill section at around 5k's. If you don't ride like hell you get absorbed by another 500 riders (and this is the amount of riders per wave) coming from behind.

Mass start?

In the first part of the race, I felt quite well, but bit by bit I felt the power draining away.  I had to let go a lot of girls, and so I made the wise decision to switch from race mode to Sunday bike-ride mode.
At the 5th feed-zone I met Peter again. He started behind in the pack and he was not having his best day eighter. So the 'bikeride' continued as a mixed team again.
We almost fell over the finishline after 6hrs and 35'. Not totally exhausted, but let us say: "medium done".

Cute or not?

Romantic dinner between team mates. Or is it lovers once off the  bike?

Trying out Polynesian food

On Saturday we planned a day off. We went to the beach, chilled, and prepared our bikes for the last race on Sunday.

Chill girl

Beach girl

'The ROC d'AZUR' himself was on the menu. 41km for me and 56km for Peter.
The girls race  started before all the other races early at 8 o'clock. A great sight it was to be on the front row with hundreds of girls behind and next to me...
Peter would be starting at 0930hrs.

I like an early start...

Or not? 

This race went a lot better then the one on Friday. I managed to start fast with the pros, and at the first climb, I found in Sara Van Peer a partner in crime to ride strong together. Sara being a bit faster uphill, and I throwing myself a bit more in the downhill. This was a good match. I know Sara from other races in Belgium. We get along quite well.
At the end I managed to slip away, during a close battle and sprint with a younger french girl.
Satisfied with my race I immediately realised this was my last race of the season.
And I was so glad I could race it here, the place I came to with Peter 10 years ago.

St Aygulf

A full season report will be posted ASAP.

Back to Fréjus where the hardest thing was yet to come. We would be heading back to Belgium as soon as Peter got back from his race. (which he did rather well despite the loads of riders who got in the first wave by crawling over the fences, and which made it a very chaotic start). His short version of the race: "Good legs, Nice tracks, Now Holiday... 😎

Nice trail you said?

1200km to go and hoping we got back in time before opening of  the gates at my school.

Bike couple of the year.

All Belgium girls
only Alice is missing she was prepping for the podium as she finished on the podium

Well we did not take any risks, and arrived at home at 3 o'clock AM.
A little powernap for me and off to work.
Peter had taken another day off, so he could sleep longer. 😒 Pussy... 😆

But The ROC d'Azur is most of all meeting nice people with same passions and lifestyles, super relaxed atmosphere between riders.
Discovering new races, regions and meeting most of our partners at the fair.

Can't wait till next one...

Note from Peter:  I can only agree with all the above. And those were the best four days of my season, with my bikegirl in fréjus.

Yeaaahhhh...

We'll be back.

S&P